The Maltese government has awarded 19 students blockchain scholarships worth a total of 160,000 euro ($179,000), local publication the Malta Independent reports May 23. The scholarships were granted by Silvio Schembri, Parliamentary Secretary for Financial Services, Digital Economy and Innovation, using the $351,000 scholarship fund that was set up by Malta Digital Innovation Authority (MITA) and the University of Malta in August 2018. According to the Malta Independent, all the awardees will further apply for a Master's degree in blockchain and distributed ledger technologies (DLT), with separate groups of students specializing in blockchain studies relating to law, finance, business, and …

Malta-based cryptocurrency bank Founders Bank has appointed former executive of Deutsche Bank as its new CEO, according to a Bloomberg report on May 9. Backed by major global crypto exchange Binance, Founders Bank plans to assist blockchain and crypto-related firms in securing financial services from traditional banking institutions, the report notes. The new CEO, Kenan Altunis, will reportedly join Founders Bank’s team in June. Prior to the crypto bank, Altunis reportedly served as a co-head of the institutional client group at Deutsche Bank’s corporate and investment bank, where he was working directly with institutional investors and regulators. According to the …

Malta’s Registry of Companies is going to be run on a blockchain-powered system, local news outlet the Malta Independent reported on May 8. The Registry of Companies is a public registry holding official information and documentation pertaining to new and existing companies. The agency demerged from the Malta Financial Services Authority’s (MFSA) and established itself as a separate entity at the end of last year. According to the Malta Independent, the new agency will be run on a blockchain-based system. The establishment of a standalone agency aims to strengthen the internal management structure of the Registry. Parliamentary Secretary for Financial …

Silvio Schembri is Junior Minister for Financial Services, Digital Economy and Innovation within the Office of the Prime Minister of Malta Malta becoming the “Blockchain Island” is no longer a distant dream but a reality, which — within a very short time frame and through our tireless commitment to incorporate, use and embrace this new, emergent technology — has propelled our country to the forefront of the blockchain sphere; reaffirming our position as a main point of reference for other countries that will inevitably follow. The latest announcements by the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) and the Malta Digital Innovation …

Malta's financial regulator has issued a note to the public regarding the risks of crypto assets and the possibility for scams, news outlet Times of Malta reported on April 25. The Malta Financial Services Authority’s (MFSA) new guidance note intends to warn the public about cryptocurrency investments and related risks, and educate people on how to identify and avoid scams and fraudulent schemes. The guidance reportedly outlines the most common types of digital currency-associated scams, which include fake iInitial coin offerings (ICOs), crowdfunding ventures promising higher gains which are availed of once the coin becomes active, and fake exchange platforms …

The Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) has approved its first 14 crypto assets agents that previously sought for a license, according to an official statement published today, April 2. The approval comes five months after the Virtual Financial Assets Act (VFA), adopted by Maltese government last year, came into power. According to local newspaper the Times of Malta, over 250 applications were initially filed by lawyers, accounts and auditors. However, nearly two thirds of them failed to pass the official assessment process. Only 28 of them finally succeeded to apply for a license, and 14 were approved with “minor details” …

United States crypto exchange Bittrex has cancelled its first token sale, dubbed an Initial Exchange Offering (IEO), which it had been planning to host on its Malta-based counterpart, Bittrex International. The news was announced in an official statement published on March 14. Earlier this week, Bittrex International had announced plans to host the IEO today, March 15, allowing investors to use Bitcoin (BTC) to purchase “XRD” tokens, developed by international gaming data blockchain project, Raid. In yesterday’s announcement, the exchange outlined that it decided to cancel the IEO “as a result of significant changes in the business status of RAID.” …

The Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) has appointed blockchain security firm CipherTrace to monitor activity by crypto businesses in Malta, local news agency The Times of Malta reports on March 11. CipherTrace is now set to be responsible for overseeing regulatory processes and audit risk management of virtual asset businesses licensed in Malta, CipherTrace CEO Joseph Cuschier explained. The United States-based blockchain security company will assist the MFSA in combating money laundering and financing terrorism risks associated with entities involved in crypto businesses. As previously reported, the MFSA envisions coordinating interactions with crypto-related businesses such as initial coin offering (ICO) …

Malta Digital Exchange (MDX) is moving in with the Malta Stock Exchange (MSE) in contemplation of the launch of its digital exchange division, the Times of Malta reported on March 5. MDX is reportedly in the process of obtaining a securities license to promote a multilateral trading platform that will introduce a secondary market for digital assets trading. MDX founder and executive chairman Rick Klink said that the “move to the Maltese Stock Exchange means that we are now physically positioned to be at the heart of the next wave of institutional financial innovation.” The move comes the wake of …

Blockchain companies in Malta are reportedly struggling with opening bank accounts, local news outlet the Times of Malta reported on Mar. 1. The Times of Malta allegedly contacted a number of legal firms and financial companies, who confirmed that banks were declining their applications to open bank accounts, saying that it was beyond their “risk appetite.” The sources reportedly said that banks did not differentiate between digital currency and blockchain, though they were not always connected. Parliamentary Secretary for Financial Services Silvio Schembri reportedly told the Times of Malta that some banks were willing to open accounts for blockchain companies, …

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said that the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) has critical gaps in its supervision for anti-money laundering (AML) and combating the financing of terrorism (CFT), and is recommending “urgent action.” The news was reported by local news outlet the Times of Malta on Feb. 28. A Financial System Stability Assessment Report was purportedly issued by the IMF on Thursday, Feb. 28, and represents an assessment of Malta’s financial system, the quality of the regulatory and supervisory framework, as well as the country’s ability to cope with financial crises. Per the report, the IMF stated …

Malta-based major cryptocurrency exchange OKEx has listed Ripple (XRP) and Bitcoin Cash (BCH) on its customer-to-customer (C2C) trading platform, according to a press release shared with Cointelegraph on Feb. 22. OKEx, the top third crypto trading market by daily trading volumes at press time, now allows users to buy or sell XRP and BCH with five supported fiat currencies: the British pound (GBP), Chinese renminbi (CNY), Vietnamese dong (VND), Russian ruble (RUB) and Thai baht (THB) on the OKEx C2C trading platform. The Thai baht was added to the OKEx C2C platform in mid-February. During the newest upgrade, all services …